Teachers

At XYNTARAKI LANGUAGE SCHOOL we take the proper education of our students very seriously. For this reason, our professors are all with a university degree, even with postgraduate studies in Didactics. In addition, some are examiners at institutions such as the British Council and the Hellenic American Union, with extensive experience in language tests.

Hara Xyntaraki

She has been teaching English and Spanish for 20 years , with a BA in Applied Languages and Translation , from Portsmouth University, a Diploma in Teaching English as a Second / Foreign Language (TESL / TEFL) , from Saint Michael’s College USA.
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A restless and leading spirit, which inspires and guides the team, for the success of each student on a personal, educational and professional level . Volunteer and seminar presenter , she feels the joy of creation, for a student- centered education that brings smiles and confidence.

WHO WE ARE

Eleni Adami

French teacher

My name is Adami Eleni and I am a French language teacher. I am a graduate of the Department of French Language and Literature of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, with a postgraduate degree in Teaching French as a foreign/international language at the Hellenic Open University (HOU). At the same time, I try to constantly educate myself by attending seminars and workshops about special education, psychology, and cultural issues, as I believe in lifelong learning.

My love for children prompted me to become a volunteer at the Hellenic Children’s Museum. This specific activity has further developed my creativity and empathy, qualities that I also apply in teaching. I work as a French teacher with the aim of imparting both an excellent knowledge of the language to my students and cultivating skills that will be useful to them in the future. In the past, however, I have worked as an interpreter for seminars, as well as multinational companies.

Vanessa Graham

ENGLISH TEACHER

With a background in theatre and the performing arts, I began teaching some 40 years ago quite by chance. I had graduated from the Sorbonne, Paris III with a degree in French Studies and was asked by a neighbor to tutor her son.

To my surprise, I was able to help this very introverted and insecure boy not only from an academic standpoint but also on a personal level. The experience changed my life and my dream was to try and marry the two disciplines: Theatre and Teaching the concept being to use the creative self as an impetus in overcoming the many inhibitions felt when learning a foreign language.

Teaching has given me a creative voice and has challenged me every day. The experience has been wonderful indeed.

Merope

ENGLISH TEACHER

I am a graduate of the Department of English Language and Literature of the University of Athens and I participate in the Special Education training program of the University of the Aegean.

I believe that the strength of a class lies in the uniqueness of its members. My goal every time, is to preserve the uniqueness of my students and create an environment where everyone can be authentic, learn and at the same time bring out their abilities and talents.

My most important tool in the classroom is teamwork and collaboration, as I believe that team spirit inspires us, makes us feel confident and always leads to the most creative paths.

Katerina Chondrodima

ENGLISH TEACHER

She is a graduate of the Department of English Language and Literature of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. She has a flair in foreign languages and loves teaching. Attending a variety of teaching seminars in combination with her travel experiences through Erasmus +, have inevitably shaped her alternative way of teaching.

With an emphasis on student-centered education and creative and experiential teaching, she inspires and encourages students to discover and express through English the artistic aspects of their personality and their creativity.

Denisia Lala

Administrative Assistant

She is a graduate of Newfound Regional High School Bristol N.H. and a graduate of the Swiss Hotel Association Management School “Les Roches” Bluche VS Switzerland. She speaks several languages by choice and holds a Cambridge Proficiency in English and a Certificat en français.
Organizational and calm by nature, she is the heart of our school, ready to welcome us with a friendly smile, to serve us in a clear and unambiguous way and to coordinate us with professionalism and responsibility.

Nikoleta Raftopoulou

German Teacher

My name is Nikoleta Raftopoulou and I am a graduate of the Department of German Language and Literature at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.

For the past 5 years, I have been actively involved in teaching German as a foreign language to young people and children, preparing students for German language proficiency exams. Integral parts of my lessons include critical thinking activities and cooperative games aimed at boosting my students’ self-confidence and serving as a positive incentive for self-improvement. In the journey of learning a foreign language, I always incorporate games for discovery, enthusiasm, and experiential learning, because one learns better through experience.

For the past 8 years, I have been involved as a facilitator in promoting the art of rhetoric in schools and cultural centers. I co-coordinate the Rhetoric Club of the School of Philosophy, and I am also part of the Tedx Speakers Mentors team within the framework of organizing TedxKids@Ilissos.

My goal is to inspire young people to enter the world of a foreign language, which takes you on new paths of knowledge and discovery, and to equip them with skills and tools that will set them apart. My motto is: “Education is not the filling of a bucket, but the lighting of a fire.”

Daniel Murray

English Teacher

“Everything is better with music”.

If you come to think of it, most of our memories are linked with a particular melody, allowing us to store those memories forever. Through my degrees in Music and Teaching English, my aim is to provide my students with a relaxed environment where learning is fun, engaging and memorable. (Precisely like a good song)

Students appreciate that I practice what I preach, as I too am in the process of preparing for the certificate of Proficiency in the Greek language. I also understand the importance of “working smart, not hard”, which resonates with my students.

Most student-based learning theories, apart from being aligned with the Scottish spirit of freedom, are also coordinated with the principles of Summerhill; which constitutes the educational meeting place and the common denominator with Xyntaraki Language School.

Other than teaching my mother language, I bring an enthusiasm, insight and flair of Scottish culture and British way of living, allowing my students to connect theory with practice. In the end, understanding and learning a foreign language isn’t anything else than a bridge of communication between different civilizations!